Improvement in presses for baling cotton, hay



2'Sheets-Sheet2. l C. B CHURCHILL.

Fre ss for Baling Cotton, Hay, &c.

. UNITED S'rrrrnsM PATENT CORNELIUS B. COHUARGHILL, OF N ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

Specication forming part of Letters Fatent N0. 168,557, dated October 11, 1875; application filed April 17, 1875.

To all whom it may concern: y Be it known that I, CORNELIUS B. CHURCH- f ILL, of New Orleans, parish of Orleans and Staterof Louisiana, have invented certain new Vand useful Improvements in Presses for Baling Cotton, Hay, or other Afibrous material; vand I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, ret? erence being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of presses in which the required pressure is obtained by `the use of a vertical screw, in combination with a revolving press-box; and it consists, first, of an improved screw with right-hand and left-hand threads, and capable of being'` swung laterally to uncover the press-box, in combination withtwo nuts and a revolving press-box, the nuts revolving with the revolution of the press-box, while the screw is prevented from turning on its axis, as hereinafter explained 5 and, secondly, of a follower or platen so mounted and supported upon the lower end of the screw that when raised above the top of the press-box it may be swung laterally upon a center, so as rapidly to uncover the top of the box to permit of the introduction' of the material to be baled into the box without the trouble and loss of time usually required in screw-presses.

In the Ydrawings annexed and made part of this specication, in which like letters indijcate'like parts in all the figures, Figure l is a movement of theV screw and follower is et'- fected.

`A is the screw, made with left-hand threads on a portion of its length, and with right-hand threads on the other portion of its length.

The pitch of the two threads may vary, as desired; but it is preferred, in order to prevent too great a loss of power, and in order not to increase unduly the length of the nut U, to

make the threads upon the lower end of thev groove'or keyway is out, for purposes here' after described. C is a long nut, made withja iiange at its lower end, by which itis bolted securely to the follower K. This nut fitsthe left-hand thread of screw A. `B is anut, provided with a right-hand thread, andi fitting the upper end of the screw; and this nut passes somewhat loosely between the arch-bars F, the flange on the lower part of the nutB bearing against the lower edge of the arch-bars when a bale is being pressed, and the lugs'Bf, cast on the upper part of the nut B, resting on the upper edge of the arch-bars, and sustaining the weight of thescre'w, nuts, .and follower when the press-box is empty.` Dis a collar or sleeve of s'uficient interior diameter to allow it to pass easily over the screw A, and this collar is provided with a feathenked, that ts the longitudinal groove in the screw A. The collar D is also provided with journals or trunnions, iitting in the boxes H,'and said boxes are firmly secured Vto L, the top or straining beam of the press framc. The feather-key din the collar D, litting in the groove in the screw A, permits the screw to slide up or down through the collar, while it prevents the screw from turning around'with the press. i

The nut B being square between the archbars F, and the nut G being securely'attaclled to the follower K, it follows that when the press is turned around, both nuts revolve with `the press-box around'` the screw, and the follower-K approaches or recedes from the pressbox bottom S, according to the direction Vin which the press is turned, the nut O passing up or down on'the screw A,while at the same time the screw A is passing up or down through the nut B and the collar D. a

By this construction all friction in the working of the screw'is avoided, except that which necessarily exists between the threads of the screw and the interior of the nuts.

On 'the nut B is a lug, B, extending a short distance downward, and in the nut O is a corresponding groove or recess, these parts being so related that when the press-box is turned around to raise the follower K, preparatory to ,fillingthe box with the material tobe pressed, t .ft-lie lugiB'. onthe nut rB will enter the recess iii the nut C just before the' follower leaves the press-box, so that whenthev follower is raised entirely clear of the top of thepressfbo'x itj maintains its proper position in relation to the press-box without trouble to the operator.

ythearc. "-fthe-` arch-bars F'this construction allows the r follower, with the screw and nuts,to be swung ovento on'e` side, the trunnions E on collar D f-bein-g the center of motion, thus uncovering thewholetop of the box, and allowing the greatestpossible room for the operator to put sin the cotton Orother material to be pressed.

y On themetallic varch-bars are lugs F, extend- 1.' .ing upward and embracing the circular top guide G, which surrounds the screw and is secured to the top beam of the press-frame.

These lugs, bearing against the circular guide, maintain, or aid in maintaining, the press-box inv its vertic'alposition, both when the follower is swung to` one side and when the press is in, -.motion,- the lugs, in the latter case', revolving freely around the guide.

The collarD is suspended inside,- and inthe center,- of the guide LG. by the. boxes H. .This circular guide must .be large enough to permit of the desired lat- ;eral movement of the screw, and it is rendered vnecessary `by the fact that the screw, because :fit-is 'mounted soas to swing laterally, cannot give the requisite support to the press in its ...revolution So far as concerns the suspension of the screw and the connected follower upon A.Lpivots, so as togive them'the capacity of latera'l movement, as hereinbefore indicated, I do not consider that this feature is necessarily connected with the peculiar construction of the jscrew, (by which it is provided with a right- 'E hand thread upon its upper' end, and a lefthand thread upon its lower end.) These parts might be made to swing laterally, even though J the threads ofthe screw were made continuframe.

f .ports the entire weight of the press and con-- M .represents the bottom sill of the press- N represents the gudgeon that slip- 1' tents, and upon which the press revolves. rEhe press-box P is made of wood, of dimensionsl .andshalge as required. O are four metallic virods, connected rigidly at their upper ends f with each end of the two beams R, and rigidly connected -at their lower ends with the four lcorners of the press-box bottom S. The pressbox Pis fastened together, in the usual manner, with battens and screw bolts, and is held inl .position by the metallic rods O at each corner, and rests upon, and is supported by,

' collars forged in the proper place on the rods 0. The doors P are hung` to the lower battens of the press-box. The battensX, near the bottom of the two side doors, extend slightly beyond the end of the press-box, as shown in Fig. l. Thesel projecting ends are fitted to reccivefmetallic clamp-bars.` The clamp bars pass across and against the end doors, thereby clamping all four doors together, and holding that part of the press-box that is formed by the doors together while abale is bein g pressed. The doors are made a little short, so as to allow space between their lower edges and the press-box bottom for the cloth that is to cover the lower part of the bale to pass under. The doors, when opened, are held up by hooks'attached to the Lipper partof the press-box. I.

To use the press, iirst spready thel cloth for covering the lower side. of the bale overvv the press-box bottom S; then close the doors, and put on the clamp-bars to secure them; then turn the press around until thefollower K is raised clear of the top of the box, stopping the press when the beams R reach a p0- sition at right angles with the top beam Lof the press-frame; then swing the follower over to one side, and lill the press-box with cotton then spread over the top of the boxI the cloth that is to cover the upper part of the bale; then swing the follower back. to its place; then apply power to the lever V, and turn the press around until the' bale is reduced to the size required 5 then-unhook the clamp-bars, swing up the doors, and hook.` them there;

then. secure the bale with ties or hoops, and

then turn the press around in the proper direction to raise the follower up from the bale. As soon as the follower is clear'fof the bale the bale can be rolled voff fromy the press-bottom. a l

What is claimed as new is l. The combination ofthe revolvingpressbox, a stationary right-and-left-hand screw, and two revolving nuts, the lower one 'of which receives the lower end of -the screw,

and is rigidly attached to the follower, sub` stantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the-revolving pressbox and a right-and-left-hand screw, working in 4two revolving nuts, the upper one of which is made capable of lateral movement on its bearings, substantially as and for th purpose indicated. y

3. ln combination with the revolving pressbox and-nuts, a stationary screw, the upper and lower ends. of which are free to move laterally when the follower is raised, so' as -to swing the follower away from the top of the press-box, substantially as and for the purpose indicated.

4. A follower arranged to swing away from the top of the lpress-box by the lateral movement of the screw, the center of .such movement being above the follower, substantially as set forth. v

5. In combination with the nut which. receives the lower endof the screw, the lug B,

i for the purpose set forth.

or equivalent device, by means of which the movement of the screw as the follower is nut and follower are locked in position when swung away from the top ofv the press-box, raised from the press-boX,-substantially as and substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination of the revolving press- C. B. CHURCHILL. box and a circular guide for guiding and supporting the same, such guide having an internal diameter sufficient to permit the lateral Witnesses:

W. J. CASTELL, DANIEL P. MARGY. 

